<p>If I were to place in the top 11-13% in a competition and put on my app ~ top 10%, would that be considered lying and would it basically be the same thing?</p>
<p>Let’s hope your future spouse describing friendships with exes doesn’t use the same standard with you, eh?</p>
<p>You already know the answer to your question. What you’re lacking is the backbone to be honest and for some bizarre reason, you’re hoping for random strangers to validate your lie or to minimalize your dishonest bent.</p>
<p>Saying you were in nearly the top ten percent says the same thing about you as actually being in the top ten. You don’t end up there by accident.</p>
<p>Wanting to lie on a college application, well, that says another thing about you…</p>
<p>I think it depends on how absolutely specific the 11-13% is. If there are very specific numbers next to your name in connection with this competition, they are the numbers you should live with. </p>
<p>There are other times when you can change the way you say something but still stand by it. For example if a school does not rank but there are two or three top students in the class who are equal in terms of their excellence, I know of a situation where the school administration permitted each of these students to indicate they were applying as a valedictorian, and the school backed the claims up when they were called. As in “yes, we do not rank, but this student was absolutely at the top of their class and may fairly claim that place in the class, if we had a name for it.”</p>
<p>Anyways, 11-13% is not that different from top 10% so personally I would own it and be fine with it.</p>
<p>Edited to add a story I remember from a book about a famous trial. The lawyers got their hands on the college application of one of the important witnesses where they claimed they had certain awards. The lawyers also got the person’s yearbook where they pointed out the kids who REALLY won the awards. Lying comes back to haunt you, man.</p>
<p>Get in the habit of being honest. If you placed 13th out of 100, or 26th out of 200, or 7th out of 50, just say that. It is still impressive, and you get the satisfaction of being honest.</p>
<p>Yes, it would be lying. And if being in the top 11-13% is “basically the same thing” as being in the top 10%, then just put the top 11-13%. Obviously YOU think there’s a difference, or you wouldn’t be considering lying about it.</p>
<p>Funny that you mention using a yearbook to check lies. Our yearbook has many mistakes in the activities section so it would not be a reliable source.</p>
<p>Wow, seriously, you’d consider this? It makes me sad to think that this is the competition for my and other people’s honest, law-abiding kids.</p>
<p>Musicmerit, it was a true crime book and I believe in the case of that one witness they actually called to the stand the former high school classmate who had won one particular certain award (and not the witness guy), and he had the award with him. It wasn’t just a minor award, either. The witness was in his early 20s so all this stuff was still available. Anyway bet he never thought anyone would ever check that one.</p>
<p>OP, a lot of your posts seem to be about ways to make your very legitimate achievements look even better. Please take a look in the mirror and learn to like yourself as you are, and also to be truthful to yourself as to what you are.</p>
<p>Almost all of your posts seem to be about how to make it seem as if you have achievements that you don’t.</p>
<p>It would be better for you to put effort into actually achieving things rather than putting the effort into spinning a web of lies about what you wish you had achieved.</p>
<p>No comment- I think you know my answer.</p>
<p>Here’s the generic answer to lying on a college application: if the lie is big enough to make it worthwhile, it is also too risky, because of the risk of it being discovered.</p>
<p>This one is not big enough to matter, so it’s not worth taking any risk.</p>
<p>Its not the same thing. There is a difference. I’m not gonna lecture you on lying. But its pretty risky on college apps, i wouldn’t advise it.</p>